Kejadian 1:22

1:22 God blessed them ¹  and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” ² 

Kejadian 1:25

1:25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the cattle according to their kinds, and all the creatures that creep along the ground according to their kinds. God saw that it was good.

Kejadian 1:30

1:30 And to all the animals of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to all the creatures that move on the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give ³  every green plant for food.” It was so.

Kejadian 2:20

2:20 So the man named all the animals, the birds of the air, and the living creatures of the field, but for Adam ⁴  no companion who corresponded to him was found. ⁵ 

Kejadian 3:8

The Judgment Oracles of God at the Fall

3:8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God moving about ⁶  in the orchard at the breezy time ⁷  of the day, and they hid ⁸  from the Lord God among the trees of the orchard.

Kejadian 3:15

3:15 And I will put hostility ⁹  between you and the woman

and between your offspring and her offspring; ¹⁰ 

her offspring will attack ¹¹  your head,

and ¹²  you ¹³  will attack her offspring’s heel.” ¹⁴ 

Kejadian 4:1

The Story of Cain and Abel

4:1 Now ¹⁵  the man had marital relations with ¹⁶  his wife Eve, and she became pregnant ¹⁷  and gave birth to Cain. Then she said, “I have created ¹⁸  a man just as the Lord did!” ¹⁹ 

Kejadian 6:17-18

6:17 I am about to bring ²⁰  floodwaters ²¹  on the earth to destroy ²²  from under the sky all the living creatures that have the breath of life in them. ²³  Everything that is on the earth will die, 6:18 but I will confirm ²⁴  my covenant with you. You will enter ²⁵  the ark – you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.

Kejadian 7:1

7:1 The Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, for I consider you godly among this generation. ²⁶ 

Kejadian 7:11

7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month – on that day all the fountains of the great deep ²⁷  burst open and the floodgates of the heavens ²⁸  were opened.

Kejadian 7:13-14

7:13 On that very day Noah entered the ark, accompanied by his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, along with his wife and his sons’ three wives. ²⁹  7:14 They entered, ³⁰  along with every living creature after its kind, every animal after its kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, everything with wings. ³¹ 

Kejadian 7:21

7:21 And all living things ³²  that moved on the earth died, including the birds, domestic animals, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all humankind.

Kejadian 11:29

11:29 And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, ³³  and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah; ³⁴  she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah.

Kejadian 12:6

12:6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the oak tree ³⁵  of Moreh ³⁶  at Shechem. ³⁷  (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.) ³⁸ 

Kejadian 12:16

12:16 and he did treat Abram well ³⁹  on account of her. Abram received ⁴⁰  sheep and cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

Kejadian 13:7

13:7 So there were quarrels ⁴¹  between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen. ⁴²  (Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time.) ⁴³ 

Kejadian 14:7

14:7 Then they attacked En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh) again, ⁴⁴  and they conquered all the territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar.

Kejadian 14:16

14:16 He retrieved all the stolen property. ⁴⁵  He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of ⁴⁶  the people.

Kejadian 14:24

14:24 I will take nothing ⁴⁷  except compensation for what the young men have eaten. ⁴⁸  As for the share of the men who went with me – Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre – let them take their share.”

Kejadian 19:3

19:3 But he urged ⁴⁹  them persistently, so they turned aside with him and entered his house. He prepared a feast for them, including bread baked without yeast, and they ate.

Kejadian 19:15

19:15 At dawn ⁵⁰  the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, ⁵¹  or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged!” ⁵² 

Kejadian 19:30

19:30 Lot went up from Zoar with his two daughters and settled in the mountains because he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters.

Kejadian 20:13

20:13 When God made me wander ⁵³  from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: ⁵⁴  Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”

Kejadian 20:17

20:17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children.

Kejadian 21:26

21:26 “I do not know who has done this thing,” Abimelech replied. “Moreover, ⁵⁵  you did not tell me. I did not hear about it until today.”

Kejadian 22:17

22:17 I will indeed bless you, ⁵⁶  and I will greatly multiply ⁵⁷  your descendants ⁵⁸  so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession ⁵⁹  of the strongholds ⁶⁰  of their enemies.

Kejadian 22:20

22:20 After these things Abraham was told, “Milcah ⁶¹  also has borne children to your brother Nahor –

Kejadian 24:32

24:32 So Abraham’s servant ⁶²  went to the house and unloaded ⁶³  the camels. Straw and feed were given ⁶⁴  to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. ⁶⁵ 

Kejadian 24:44

24:44 Then she will reply to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too.” May that woman be the one whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’

Kejadian 24:49

24:49 Now, if you will show faithful love to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me as well, so that I may go on my way.” ⁶⁶ 

Kejadian 24:53-54

24:53 Then he ⁶⁷  brought out gold, silver jewelry, and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and to her mother. 24:54 After this, he and the men who were with him ate a meal and stayed there overnight. ⁶⁸ 

When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me leave now so I can return to my master.” ⁶⁹ 

Kejadian 25:9

25:9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah ⁷⁰  near Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar, the Hethite.

Kejadian 25:18

25:18 His descendants ⁷¹  settled from Havilah to Shur, which runs next ⁷²  to Egypt all the way ⁷³  to Asshur. ⁷⁴  They settled ⁷⁵  away from all their relatives. ⁷⁶ 

Kejadian 25:27

25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled ⁷⁷  hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents. ⁷⁸ 

Kejadian 25:34

25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. ⁷⁹  So Esau despised his birthright. ⁸⁰ 

Kejadian 26:25

26:25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped ⁸¹  the Lord. He pitched his tent there, and his servants dug a well. ⁸² 

Kejadian 27:29

27:29 May peoples serve you

and nations bow down to you.

You will be ⁸³  lord ⁸⁴  over your brothers,

and the sons of your mother will bow down to you. ⁸⁵ 

May those who curse you be cursed,

and those who bless you be blessed.”

Kejadian 27:31

27:31 He also prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Esau ⁸⁶  said to him, “My father, get up ⁸⁷  and eat some of your son’s wild game. Then you can bless me.” ⁸⁸ 

Kejadian 28:4-5

28:4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing he gave to Abraham ⁸⁹  so that you may possess the land ⁹⁰  God gave to Abraham, the land where you have been living as a temporary resident.” ⁹¹  28:5 So Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

Kejadian 28:12

28:12 and had a dream. ⁹²  He saw ⁹³  a stairway ⁹⁴  erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens. The angels of God were going up and coming down it

Kejadian 28:14

28:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, ⁹⁵  and you will spread out ⁹⁶  to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ⁹⁷  using your name and that of your descendants. ⁹⁸ 

Kejadian 28:20

28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God is with me and protects me on this journey I am taking and gives me food ⁹⁹  to eat and clothing to wear,

Kejadian 29:10

29:10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, ¹⁰⁰  and the sheep of his uncle Laban, he ¹⁰¹  went over ¹⁰²  and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban. ¹⁰³ 

Kejadian 29:20

29:20 So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel. ¹⁰⁴  But they seemed like only a few days to him ¹⁰⁵  because his love for her was so great. ¹⁰⁶ 

Kejadian 29:32-33

29:32 So Leah became pregnant ¹⁰⁷  and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, ¹⁰⁸  for she said, “The Lord has looked with pity on my oppressed condition. ¹⁰⁹  Surely my husband will love me now.”

29:33 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Because the Lord heard that I was unloved, ¹¹⁰  he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon. ¹¹¹ 

Kejadian 29:35

29:35 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” That is why she named him Judah. ¹¹²  Then she stopped having children.

Kejadian 30:37

30:37 But Jacob took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees. He made white streaks by peeling them, making the white inner wood in the branches visible.

Kejadian 31:25

31:25 Laban overtook Jacob, and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too. ¹¹³ 

Kejadian 31:29

31:29 I have ¹¹⁴  the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful ¹¹⁵  that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.’ ¹¹⁶ 

Kejadian 31:38

31:38 “I have been with you for the past twenty years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks.

Kejadian 32:12

32:12 But you ¹¹⁷  said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper ¹¹⁸  and will make ¹¹⁹  your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’” ¹²⁰ 

Kejadian 32:32--33:1

32:32 That is why to this day ¹²¹  the Israelites do not eat the sinew which is attached to the socket of the hip, because he struck ¹²²  the socket of Jacob’s hip near the attached sinew.

Jacob Meets Esau

33:1 Jacob looked up ¹²³  and saw that Esau was coming ¹²⁴  along with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants.

Kejadian 34:5

34:5 When ¹²⁵  Jacob heard that Shechem ¹²⁶  had violated his daughter Dinah, his sons were with the livestock in the field. So Jacob remained silent ¹²⁷  until they came in.

Kejadian 34:11

34:11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s ¹²⁸  father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your sight, and whatever you require of me ¹²⁹  I’ll give. ¹³⁰ 

Kejadian 34:22-23

34:22 Only on this one condition will these men consent to live with us and become one people: They demand ¹³¹  that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised. 34:23 If we do so, ¹³²  won’t their livestock, their property, and all their animals become ours? So let’s consent to their demand, so they will live among us.”

Kejadian 35:11

35:11 Then God said to him, “I am the sovereign God. ¹³³  Be fruitful and multiply! A nation – even a company of nations – will descend from you; kings will be among your descendants! ¹³⁴ 

Kejadian 37:7

37:7 There we were, ¹³⁵  binding sheaves of grain in the middle of the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose up and stood upright and your sheaves surrounded my sheaf and bowed down ¹³⁶  to it!”

Kejadian 37:9

37:9 Then he had another dream, ¹³⁷  and told it to his brothers. “Look,” ¹³⁸  he said. “I had another dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

Kejadian 39:6

39:6 So Potiphar ¹³⁹  left ¹⁴⁰  everything he had in Joseph’s care; ¹⁴¹  he gave no thought ¹⁴²  to anything except the food he ate. ¹⁴³ 

Now Joseph was well built and good-looking. ¹⁴⁴ 

Kejadian 39:23

39:23 The warden did not concern himself ¹⁴⁵  with anything that was in Joseph’s ¹⁴⁶  care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful.

Kejadian 40:8

40:8 They told him, “We both had dreams, ¹⁴⁷  but there is no one to interpret them.” Joseph responded, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell them ¹⁴⁸  to me.”

Kejadian 40:16

40:16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation of the first dream was favorable, ¹⁴⁹  he said to Joseph, “I also appeared in my dream and there were three baskets of white bread ¹⁵⁰  on my head.

Kejadian 41:26

41:26 The seven good cows represent seven years, and the seven good heads of grain represent seven years. Both dreams have the same meaning. ¹⁵¹ 

Kejadian 41:43

41:43 Pharaoh ¹⁵²  had him ride in the chariot used by his second-in-command, ¹⁵³  and they cried out before him, “Kneel down!” ¹⁵⁴  So he placed him over all the land of Egypt.

Kejadian 42:36

42:36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You are making me childless! Joseph is gone. ¹⁵⁵  Simeon is gone. ¹⁵⁶  And now you want to take ¹⁵⁷  Benjamin! Everything is against me.”

Kejadian 43:8

43:8 Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me and we will go immediately. ¹⁵⁸  Then we will live ¹⁵⁹  and not die – we and you and our little ones.

Kejadian 43:15

43:15 So the men took these gifts, and they took double the money with them, along with Benjamin. Then they hurried down to Egypt ¹⁶⁰  and stood before Joseph.

Kejadian 45:19

45:19 You are also commanded to say, ¹⁶¹  ‘Do this: Take for yourselves wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives. Bring your father and come.

Kejadian 45:27

45:27 But when they related to him everything Joseph had said to them, ¹⁶²  and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, their father Jacob’s spirit revived.

Kejadian 46:6

46:6 Jacob and all his descendants took their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and they went to Egypt. ¹⁶³ 

Kejadian 47:23

47:23 Joseph said to the people, “Since I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you. Cultivate ¹⁶⁴  the land.

Kejadian 48:15

48:15 Then he blessed Joseph and said,

“May the God before whom my fathers

Abraham and Isaac walked –

the God who has been my shepherd ¹⁶⁵ 

all my life long to this day,

Kejadian 49:9

49:9 You are a lion’s cub, Judah,

from the prey, my son, you have gone up.

He crouches and lies down like a lion;

like a lioness – who will rouse him?

[1:22]  ¹ tn While the translation “blessed” has been retained here for the sake of simplicity, it would be most helpful to paraphrase it as “God endowed them with fruitfulness” or something similar, for here it refers to God’s giving the animals the capacity to reproduce. The expression “blessed” needs clarification in its different contexts, for it is one of the unifying themes of the Book of Genesis. The divine blessing occurs after works of creation and is intended to continue that work – the word of blessing guarantees success. The word means “to enrich; to endow,” and the most visible evidence of that enrichment is productivity or fruitfulness. See C. Westermann, Blessing in the Bible and the Life of the Church (OBT).

[1:22]  ² sn The instruction God gives to creation is properly a fuller expression of the statement just made (“God blessed them”), that he enriched them with the ability to reproduce. It is not saying that these were rational creatures who heard and obeyed the word; rather, it stresses that fruitfulness in the animal world is a result of the divine decree and not of some pagan cultic ritual for fruitfulness. The repeated emphasis of “be fruitful – multiply – fill” adds to this abundance God has given to life. The meaning is underscored by the similar sounds: בָּרָךְ (barakh) with בָּרָא (bara’), and פָּרָה (parah) with רָבָה (ravah).

[1:30]  ³ tn The phrase “I give” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[2:20]  ⁴ tn Here for the first time the Hebrew word אָדָם (’adam) appears without the article, suggesting that it might now be the name “Adam” rather than “[the] man.” Translations of the Bible differ as to where they make the change from “man” to “Adam” (e.g., NASB and NIV translate “Adam” here, while NEB and NRSV continue to use “the man”; the KJV uses “Adam” twice in v. 19).

[2:20]  ⁵ tn Heb “there was not found a companion who corresponded to him.” The subject of the third masculine singular verb form is indefinite. Without a formally expressed subject the verb may be translated as passive: “one did not find = there was not found.”

[3:8]  ⁶ tn The Hitpael participle of הָלָךְ (halakh, “to walk, to go”) here has an iterative sense, “moving” or “going about.” While a translation of “walking about” is possible, it assumes a theophany, the presence of the Lord God in a human form. This is more than the text asserts.

[3:8]  ⁷ tn The expression is traditionally rendered “cool of the day,” because the Hebrew word רוּחַ (ruakh) can mean “wind.” U. Cassuto (Genesis: From Adam to Noah, 152-54) concludes after lengthy discussion that the expression refers to afternoon when it became hot and the sun was beginning to decline. J. J. Niehaus (God at Sinai [SOTBT], 155-57) offers a different interpretation of the phrase, relating יוֹם (yom, usually understood as “day”) to an Akkadian cognate umu (“storm”) and translates the phrase “in the wind of the storm.” If Niehaus is correct, then God is not pictured as taking an afternoon stroll through the orchard, but as coming in a powerful windstorm to confront the man and woman with their rebellion. In this case קוֹל יְהוָה (qol yÿhvah, “sound of the Lord”) may refer to God’s thunderous roar, which typically accompanies his appearance in the storm to do battle or render judgment (e.g., see Ps 29).

[3:8]  ⁸ tn The verb used here is the Hitpael, giving the reflexive idea (“they hid themselves”). In v. 10, when Adam answers the Lord, the Niphal form is used with the same sense: “I hid.”

[3:15]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew word translated “hostility” is derived from the root אֵיב (’ev, “to be hostile, to be an adversary [or enemy]”). The curse announces that there will be continuing hostility between the serpent and the woman. The serpent will now live in a “battle zone,” as it were.

[3:15]  ¹⁰ sn The Hebrew word translated “offspring” is a collective singular. The text anticipates the ongoing struggle between human beings (the woman’s offspring) and deadly poisonous snakes (the serpent’s offspring). An ancient Jewish interpretation of the passage states: “He made the serpent, cause of the deceit, press the earth with belly and flank, having bitterly driven him out. He aroused a dire enmity between them. The one guards his head to save it, the other his heel, for death is at hand in the proximity of men and malignant poisonous snakes.” See Sib. Or. 1:59-64. For a similar interpretation see Josephus, Ant. 1.1.4 (1.50-51).

[3:15]  ¹¹ tn Heb “he will attack [or “bruise”] you [on] the head.” The singular pronoun and verb agree grammatically with the collective singular noun “offspring.” For other examples of singular verb and pronominal forms being used with the collective singular “offspring,” see Gen 16:10; 22:17; 24:60. The word “head” is an adverbial accusative, locating the blow. A crushing blow to the head would be potentially fatal.

[3:15]  ¹² tn Or “but you will…”; or “as they attack your head, you will attack their heel.” The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) is understood as contrastive. Both clauses place the subject before the verb, a construction that is sometimes used to indicate synchronic action (see Judg 15:14).

[3:15]  ¹³ sn You will attack her offspring’s heel. Though the conflict will actually involve the serpent’s offspring (snakes) and the woman’s offspring (human beings), v. 15b for rhetorical effect depicts the conflict as being between the serpent and the woman’s offspring, as if the serpent will outlive the woman. The statement is personalized for the sake of the addressee (the serpent) and reflects the ancient Semitic concept of corporate solidarity, which emphasizes the close relationship between a progenitor and his offspring. Note Gen 28:14, where the Lord says to Jacob, “Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, and you [second masculine singular] will spread out in all directions.” Jacob will “spread out” in all directions through his offspring, but the text states the matter as if this will happen to him personally.

[3:15]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “you will attack him [on] the heel.” The verb (translated “attack”) is repeated here, a fact that is obscured by some translations (e.g., NIV “crush…strike”). The singular pronoun agrees grammatically with the collective singular noun “offspring.” For other examples of singular verb and pronominal forms being used with the collective singular “offspring,” see Gen 16:10; 22:17; 24:60. The word “heel” is an adverbial accusative, locating the blow. A bite on the heel from a poisonous serpent is potentially fatal.

[3:15]  sn The etiological nature of v. 15 is apparent, though its relevance for modern western man is perhaps lost because we rarely come face to face with poisonous snakes. Ancient Israelites, who often encountered snakes in their daily activities (see, for example, Eccl 10:8; Amos 5:19), would find the statement quite meaningful as an explanation for the hostility between snakes and humans. (In the broader ancient Near Eastern context, compare the Mesopotamian serpent omens. See H. W. F. Saggs, The Greatness That Was Babylon, 309.) This ongoing struggle, when interpreted in light of v. 15, is a tangible reminder of the conflict introduced into the world by the first humans’ rebellion against God. Many Christian theologians (going back to Irenaeus) understand v. 15 as the so-called protevangelium, supposedly prophesying Christ’s victory over Satan (see W. Witfall, “Genesis 3:15 – a Protevangelium?” CBQ 36 [1974]: 361-65; and R. A. Martin, “The Earliest Messianic Interpretation of Genesis 3:15,” JBL 84 [1965]: 425-27). In this allegorical approach, the woman’s offspring is initially Cain, then the whole human race, and ultimately Jesus Christ, the offspring (Heb “seed”) of the woman (see Gal 4:4). The offspring of the serpent includes the evil powers and demons of the spirit world, as well as those humans who are in the kingdom of darkness (see John 8:44). According to this view, the passage gives the first hint of the gospel. Satan delivers a crippling blow to the Seed of the woman (Jesus), who in turn delivers a fatal blow to the Serpent (first defeating him through the death and resurrection [1 Cor 15:55-57] and then destroying him in the judgment [Rev 12:7-9; 20:7-10]). However, the grammatical structure of Gen 3:15b does not suggest this view. The repetition of the verb “attack,” as well as the word order, suggests mutual hostility is being depicted, not the defeat of the serpent. If the serpent’s defeat were being portrayed, it is odd that the alleged description of his death comes first in the sentence. If he has already been crushed by the woman’s “Seed,” how can he bruise his heel? To sustain the allegorical view, v. 15b must be translated in one of the following ways: “he will crush your head, even though you attack his heel” (in which case the second clause is concessive) or “he will crush your head as you attack his heel” (the clauses, both of which place the subject before the verb, may indicate synchronic action).

[4:1]  ¹⁵ tn The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new episode in the ongoing narrative.

[4:1]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “the man knew,” a frequent euphemism for sexual relations.

[4:1]  ¹⁷ tn Or “she conceived.”

[4:1]  ¹⁸ tn Here is another sound play (paronomasia) on a name. The sound of the verb קָנִיתִי (qaniti, “I have created”) reflects the sound of the name Cain in Hebrew (קַיִן, qayin) and gives meaning to it. The saying uses the Qal perfect of קָנָה (qanah). There are two homonymic verbs with this spelling, one meaning “obtain, acquire” and the other meaning “create” (see Gen 14:19, 22; Deut 32:6; Ps 139:13; Prov 8:22). The latter fits this context very well. Eve has created a man.

[4:1]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “with the Lord.” The particle אֶת־ (’et) is not the accusative/object sign, but the preposition “with” as the ancient versions attest. Some take the preposition in the sense of “with the help of” (see BDB 85 s.v. אֵת; cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV), while others prefer “along with” in the sense of “like, equally with, in common with” (see Lev 26:39; Isa 45:9; Jer 23:28). Either works well in this context; the latter is reflected in the present translation. Some understand אֶת־ as the accusative/object sign and translate, “I have acquired a man – the Lord.” They suggest that the woman thought (mistakenly) that she had given birth to the incarnate Lord, the Messiah who would bruise the Serpent’s head. This fanciful suggestion is based on a questionable allegorical interpretation of Gen 3:15 (see the note there on the word “heel”).

[4:1]  sn Since Exod 6:3 seems to indicate that the name Yahweh (יְהוָה, yÿhvah, translated Lord) was first revealed to Moses (see also Exod 3:14), it is odd to see it used in quotations in Genesis by people who lived long before Moses. This problem has been resolved in various ways: (1) Source critics propose that Exod 6:3 is part of the “P” (or priestly) tradition, which is at odds with the “J” (or Yahwistic) tradition. (2) Many propose that “name” in Exod 6:3 does not refer to the divine name per se, but to the character suggested by the name. God appeared to the patriarchs primarily in the role of El Shaddai, the giver of fertility, not as Yahweh, the one who fulfills his promises. In this case the patriarchs knew the name Yahweh, but had not experienced the full significance of the name. In this regard it is possible that Exod 6:3b should not be translated as a statement of denial, but as an affirmation followed by a rhetorical question implying that the patriarchs did indeed know God by the name of Yahweh, just as they knew him as El Shaddai. D. A. Garrett, following the lead of F. Andersen, sees Exod 6:2-3 as displaying a paneled A/B parallelism and translates them as follows: (A) “I am Yahweh.” (B) “And I made myself known to Abraham…as El Shaddai.” (A') “And my name is Yahweh”; (B') “Did I not make myself known to them?” (D. A. Garrett, Rethinking Genesis, 21). However, even if one translates the text this way, the Lord’s words do not necessarily mean that he made the name Yahweh known to the fathers. God is simply affirming that he now wants to be called Yahweh (see Exod 3:14-16) and that he revealed himself in prior times as El Shaddai. If we stress the parallelism with B, the implied answer to the concluding question might be: “Yes, you did make yourself known to them – as El Shaddai!” The main point of the verse would be that El Shaddai, the God of the fathers, and the God who has just revealed himself to Moses as Yahweh are one and the same. (3) G. J. Wenham suggests that pre-Mosaic references to Yahweh are the product of the author/editor of Genesis, who wanted to be sure that Yahweh was identified with the God of the fathers. In this regard, note how Yahweh is joined with another divine name or title in Gen 9:26-27; 14:22; 15:2, 8; 24:3, 7, 12, 27, 42, 48; 27:20; 32:9. The angel uses the name Yahweh when instructing Hagar concerning her child’s name, but the actual name (Ishma-el, “El hears”) suggests that El, not Yahweh, originally appeared in the angel’s statement (16:11). In her response to the angel Hagar calls God El, not Yahweh (16:13). In 22:14 Abraham names the place of sacrifice “Yahweh Will Provide” (cf. v. 16), but in v. 8 he declares, “God will provide.” God uses the name Yahweh when speaking to Jacob at Bethel (28:13) and Jacob also uses the name when he awakens from the dream (28:16). Nevertheless he names the place Beth-el (“house of El”). In 31:49 Laban prays, “May Yahweh keep watch,” but in v. 50 he declares, “God is a witness between you and me.” Yahweh’s use of the name in 15:7 and 18:14 may reflect theological idiom, while the use in 18:19 is within a soliloquy. (Other uses of Yahweh in quotations occur in 16:2, 5; 24:31, 35, 40, 42, 44, 48, 50, 51, 56; 26:22, 28-29; 27:7, 27; 29:32-35; 30:24, 30; 49:18. In these cases there is no contextual indication that a different name was originally used.) For a fuller discussion of this proposal, see G. J. Wenham, “The Religion of the Patriarchs,” Essays on the Patriarchal Narratives, 189-93.

[6:17]  ²⁰ tn The Hebrew construction uses the independent personal pronoun, followed by a suffixed form of הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) and the a participle used with an imminent future nuance: “As for me, look, I am going to bring.”

[6:17]  ²¹ tn Heb “the flood, water.”

[6:17]  ²² tn The verb שָׁחָת (shakhat, “to destroy”) is repeated yet again, only now in an infinitival form expressing the purpose of the flood.

[6:17]  ²³ tn The Hebrew construction here is different from the previous two; here it is רוּחַ חַיִּים (ruakh khayyim) rather than נֶפֶשׁ הַיָּה (nefesh khayyah) or נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים (nishmat khayyim). It refers to everything that breathes.

[6:18]  ²⁴ tn The Hebrew verb וַהֲקִמֹתִי (vahaqimoti) is the Hiphil perfect with a vav (ו) consecutive (picking up the future sense from the participles) from קוּם (qum, “to rise up”). This may refer to the confirmation or fulfillment of an earlier promise, but it is more likely that it anticipates the unconditional promise made to humankind following the flood (see Gen 9:9, 11, 17).

[6:18]  ²⁵ tn The perfect verb form with vav (ו) consecutive is best understood as specific future, continuing God’s description of what will happen (see vv. 17-18a).

[7:1]  ²⁶ tn Heb “for you I see [as] godly before me in this generation.” The direct object (“you”) is placed first in the clause to give it prominence. The verb “to see” here signifies God’s evaluative discernment.

[7:11]  ²⁷ tn The Hebrew term תְּהוֹם (tÿhom, “deep”) refers to the watery deep, the salty ocean – especially the primeval ocean that surrounds and underlies the earth (see Gen 1:2).

[7:11]  sn The watery deep. The same Hebrew term used to describe the watery deep in Gen 1:2 (תְּהוֹם, tihom) appears here. The text seems to picture here subterranean waters coming from under the earth and contributing to the rapid rise of water. The significance seems to be, among other things, that in this judgment God was returning the world to its earlier condition of being enveloped with water – a judgment involving the reversal of creation. On Gen 7:11 see G. F. Hasel, “The Fountains of the Great Deep,” Origins 1 (1974): 67-72; idem, “The Biblical View of the Extent of the Flood,” Origins 2 (1975): 77-95.

[7:11]  ²⁸ sn On the prescientific view of the sky reflected here, see L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World (AnBib), 46.

[7:13]  ²⁹ tn Heb “On that very day Noah entered, and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and the wife of Noah, and the three wives of his sons with him into the ark.”

[7:14]  ³⁰ tn The verb “entered” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:14]  ³¹ tn Heb “every bird, every wing.”

[7:21]  ³² tn Heb “flesh.”

[11:29]  ³³ sn The name Sarai (a variant spelling of “Sarah”) means “princess” (or “lady”). Sharratu was the name of the wife of the moon god Sin. The original name may reflect the culture out of which the patriarch was called, for the family did worship other gods in Mesopotamia.

[11:29]  ³⁴ sn The name Milcah means “Queen.” But more to the point here is the fact that Malkatu was a title for Ishtar, the daughter of the moon god. If the women were named after such titles (and there is no evidence that this was the motivation for naming the girls “Princess” or “Queen”), that would not necessarily imply anything about the faith of the two women themselves.

[12:6]  ³⁵ tn Or “terebinth.”

[12:6]  ³⁶ sn The Hebrew word Moreh (מוֹרֶה, moreh) means “teacher.” It may well be that the place of this great oak tree was a Canaanite shrine where instruction took place.

[12:6]  ³⁷ tn Heb “as far as the place of Shechem, as far as the oak of Moreh.”

[12:6]  ³⁸ tn The disjunctive clause gives important information parenthetical in nature – the promised land was occupied by Canaanites.

[12:16]  ³⁹ sn He did treat Abram well. The construction of the parenthetical disjunctive clause, beginning with the conjunction on the prepositional phrase, draws attention to the irony of the story. Abram wanted Sarai to lie “so that it would go well” with him. Though he lost Sarai to Pharaoh, it did go well for him – he received a lavish bride price. See also G. W. Coats, “Despoiling the Egyptians,” VT 18 (1968): 450-57.

[12:16]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “and there was to him.”

[13:7]  ⁴¹ tn The Hebrew term רִיב (riv) means “strife, conflict, quarreling.” In later texts it has the meaning of “legal controversy, dispute.” See B. Gemser, “The rîb – or Controversy – Pattern in Hebrew Mentality,” Wisdom in Israel and in the Ancient Near East [VTSup], 120-37.

[13:7]  ⁴² sn Since the quarreling was between the herdsmen, the dispute was no doubt over water and vegetation for the animals.

[13:7]  ⁴³ tn This parenthetical clause, introduced with the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), again provides critical information. It tells in part why the land cannot sustain these two bedouins, and it also hints of the danger of weakening the family by inner strife.

[14:7]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “they returned and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh).” The two verbs together form a verbal hendiadys, the first serving as the adverb: “they returned and came” means “they came again.” Most English translations do not treat this as a hendiadys, but translate “they turned back” or something similar. Since in the context, however, “came again to” does not simply refer to travel but an assault against the place, the present translation expresses this as “attacked…again.”

[14:16]  ⁴⁵ tn The word “stolen” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:16]  ⁴⁶ tn The phrase “the rest of “ has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:24]  ⁴⁷ tn The words “I will take nothing” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[14:24]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “except only what the young men have eaten.”

[19:3]  ⁴⁹ tn The Hebrew verb פָּצַר (patsar, “to press, to insist”) ironically foreshadows the hostile actions of the men of the city (see v. 9, where the verb also appears). The repetition of the word serves to contrast Lot to his world.

[19:15]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “When dawn came up.”

[19:15]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “who are found.” The wording might imply he had other daughters living in the city, but the text does not explicitly state this.

[19:15]  ⁵² tn Or “with the iniquity [i.e., punishment] of the city” (cf. NASB, NRSV).

[20:13]  ⁵³ tn The Hebrew verb is plural. This may be a case of grammatical agreement with the name for God, which is plural in form. However, when this plural name refers to the one true God, accompanying predicates are usually singular in form. Perhaps Abraham is accommodating his speech to Abimelech’s polytheistic perspective. (See GKC 463 §145.i.) If so, one should translate, “when the gods made me wander.”

[20:13]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “This is your loyal deed which you can do for me.”

[21:26]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “and also.”

[22:17]  ⁵⁶ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form (either an imperfect or cohortative) emphasizes the certainty of the blessing.

[22:17]  ⁵⁷ tn Here too the infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the following finite verb (either an imperfect or cohortative).

[22:17]  sn I will greatly multiply. The Lord here ratifies his earlier promise to give Abram a multitude of descendants. For further discussion see R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 35-54.

[22:17]  ⁵⁸ tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.

[22:17]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “inherit.”

[22:17]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. To break through the gate complex would be to conquer the city, for the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”).

[22:20]  ⁶¹ tn In the Hebrew text the sentence begins with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to the statement.

[24:32]  ⁶² tn Heb “the man”; the referent (Abraham’s servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:32]  ⁶³ tn Some translations (e.g., NEB, NASB, NRSV) understand Laban to be the subject of this and the following verbs or take the subject of this and the following verbs as indefinite (referring to an unnamed servant; e.g., NAB, NIV).

[24:32]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “and [one] gave.” The verb without an expressed subject may be translated as passive.

[24:32]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”

[24:49]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “and I will turn to the right or to the left.” The expression apparently means that Abraham’s servant will know where he should go if there is no further business here.

[24:53]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “the servant”; the noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:54]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “And they ate and drank, he and the men who [were] with him and they spent the night.”

[24:54]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “Send me away to my master.”

[25:9]  ⁷⁰ sn The cave of Machpelah was the place Abraham had purchased as a burial place for his wife Sarah (Gen 23:17-18).

[25:18]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (Ishmael’s descendants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:18]  ⁷² tn Heb “which is by the face of,” or near the border. The territory ran along the border of Egypt.

[25:18]  ⁷³ tn Heb “as you go.”

[25:18]  ⁷⁴ sn The name Asshur refers here to a tribal area in the Sinai.

[25:18]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “he fell.”

[25:18]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “upon the face of all his brothers.” This last expression, obviously alluding to the earlier oracle about Ishmael (Gen 16:12), could mean that the descendants of Ishmael lived in hostility to others or that they lived in a territory that was opposite the lands of their relatives. While there is some ambiguity about the meaning, the line probably does give a hint of the Ishmaelite-Israelite conflicts to come.

[25:27]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “knowing.”

[25:27]  ⁷⁸ tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Jacob with Esau and draws attention to the striking contrasts. In contrast to Esau, a man of the field, Jacob was civilized, as the phrase “living in tents” signifies. Whereas Esau was a skillful hunter, Jacob was calm and even-tempered (תָּם, tam), which normally has the idea of “blameless.”

[25:34]  ⁷⁹ sn The style here is typical of Hebrew narrative; after the tension is resolved with the dialogue, the working out of it is recorded in a rapid sequence of verbs (“gave”; “ate”; “drank”; “got up”; “went out”). See also Gen 3:1-7 for another example.

[25:34]  ⁸⁰ sn So Esau despised his birthright. This clause, which concludes the episode, is a summary statement which reveals the underlying significance of Esau’s actions. “To despise” means to treat something as worthless or with contempt. Esau’s willingness to sell his birthright was evidence that he considered it to be unimportant.

[26:25]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “called in the name of.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 12:8; 13:4; 21:33). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116.

[26:25]  ⁸² tn Heb “and they dug there, the servants of Isaac, a well.”

[27:29]  ⁸³ tn Heb “and be.” The verb is an imperative, which is used rhetorically in this oracle of blessing. It is an invitation to exercise authority his brothers and indicates that he is granted such authority by the patriarch of the family. Furthermore, the blessing enables the recipient to accomplish this.

[27:29]  ⁸⁴ tn The Hebrew word is גְבִיר (gevir, “lord, mighty one”). The one being blessed will be stronger and therefore more powerful than his brother. See Gen 25:23. The feminine form of this rare noun means “mistress” or “queen-mother.”

[27:29]  ⁸⁵ tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verbal form (which is either an imperfect or a jussive) with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:31]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “and he said to his father”; the referent of “he” (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity, while the words “his father” have been replaced by the pronoun “him” for stylistic reasons.

[27:31]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “arise” (i.e., sit up).

[27:31]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.”

[28:4]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “and may he give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you.” The name “Abraham” is an objective genitive here; this refers to the blessing that God gave to Abraham.

[28:4]  ⁹⁰ tn The words “the land” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[28:4]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “the land of your sojournings,” that is, the land where Jacob had been living as a resident alien, as his future descendants would after him.

[28:12]  ⁹² tn Heb “and dreamed.”

[28:12]  ⁹³ tn Heb “and look.” The scene which Jacob witnessed is described in three clauses introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh). In this way the narrator invites the reader to witness the scene through Jacob’s eyes. J. P. Fokkelman points out that the particle goes with a lifted arm and an open mouth: “There, a ladder! Oh, angels! and look, the Lord himself” (Narrative Art in Genesis [SSN], 51-52).

[28:12]  ⁹⁴ tn The Hebrew noun סֻלָּם (sullam, “ladder, stairway”) occurs only here in the OT, but there appears to be an Akkadian cognate simmiltu (with metathesis of the second and third consonants and a feminine ending) which has a specialized meaning of “stairway, ramp.” See H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 34. For further discussion see C. Houtman, “What Did Jacob See in His Dream at Bethel? Some Remarks on Genesis 28:10-22,” VT 27 (1977): 337-52; J. G. Griffiths, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 76 (1964/65): 229-30; and A. R. Millard, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 78 (1966/67): 86-87.

[28:14]  ⁹⁵ tn This is the same Hebrew word translated “ground” in the preceding verse.

[28:14]  ⁹⁶ tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew; Jacob is addressed as the representative of his descendants.

[28:14]  ⁹⁷ tn Theoretically the Niphal stem can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Jacob were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in other formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless (i.e., pronounce blessings upon) themselves/one another.” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 28:14 predicts that Jacob will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae (see Gen 12:2 and 18:18 as well, where Abram/Abraham receives this promise). For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.

[28:14]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “and they will pronounce blessings by you, all the families of the earth, and by your offspring.”

[28:20]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.

[29:10]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother” (twice in this verse).

[29:10]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “Jacob.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[29:10]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “drew near, approached.”

[29:10]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother.” The text says nothing initially about the beauty of Rachel. But the reader is struck by the repetition of “Laban the brother of his mother.” G. J. Wenham is no doubt correct when he observes that Jacob’s primary motive at this stage is to ingratiate himself with Laban (Genesis [WBC], 2:231).

[29:20]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “in exchange for Rachel.”

[29:20]  ¹⁰⁵ sn But they seemed like only a few days to him. This need not mean that the time passed quickly. More likely it means that the price seemed insignificant when compared to what he was getting in the bargain.

[29:20]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “because of his love for her.” The words “was so great” are supplied for stylistic reasons.

[29:32]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Or “Leah conceived” (also in vv. 33, 34, 35).

[29:32]  ¹⁰⁸ sn The name Reuben (רְאוּבֵן, rÿ’uven) means “look, a son.”

[29:32]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “looked on my affliction.”

[29:32]  sn Leah’s explanation of the name Reuben reflects a popular etymology, not an exact one. The name means literally “look, a son.” Playing on the Hebrew verb “look,” she observes that the Lord has “looked” with pity on her oppressed condition. See further S. R. Driver, Genesis, 273.

[29:33]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “hated.” See the note on the word “unloved” in v. 31.

[29:33]  ¹¹¹ sn The name Simeon (שִׁמְעוֹן, shim’on) is derived from the verbal root שָׁמַע (shama’) and means “hearing.” The name is appropriate since it is reminder that the Lord “heard” about Leah’s unloved condition and responded with pity.

[29:35]  ¹¹² sn The name Judah (יְהוּדָה, yÿhudah) means “he will be praised” and reflects the sentiment Leah expresses in the statement recorded earlier in the verse. For further discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names ‘Israel’ and ‘Judah’ with an Excursus on the Etymology of Todah and Torah,” JBL 46 (1927): 151-85; and A. R. Millard, “The Meaning of the Name Judah,” ZAW 86 (1974): 216-18.

[31:25]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “and Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban pitched with his brothers in the hill country of Gilead.” The juxtaposition of disjunctive clauses (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb in both clauses) indicates synchronism of action.

[31:29]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “there is to my hand.”

[31:29]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.

[31:29]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “from speaking with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 24, is uncertain. See the note on the same phrase in v. 24.

[32:12]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “But you, you said.” One of the occurrences of the pronoun “you” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.

[32:12]  sn Some commentators have thought this final verse of the prayer redundant, but it actually follows the predominant form of a lament in which God is motivated to act. The primary motivation Jacob can offer to God is God’s promise, and so he falls back on that at the end of the prayer.

[32:12]  ¹¹⁸ tn Or “will certainly deal well with you.” The infinitive absolute appears before the imperfect, underscoring God’s promise to bless. The statement is more emphatic than in v. 9.

[32:12]  ¹¹⁹ tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, carrying the nuance of the preceding verb forward.

[32:12]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “which cannot be counted because of abundance.” The imperfect verbal form indicates potential here.

[32:32]  ¹²¹ sn On the use of the expression to this day, see B. S. Childs, “A Study of the Formula ‘Until This Day’,” JBL 82 (1963): 279-92.

[32:32]  ¹²² tn Or “because the socket of Jacob’s hip was struck.” Some translations render this as an impersonal passive. On the translation of the word “struck” see the note on this term in v. 25.

[33:1]  ¹²³ tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his eyes.”

[33:1]  ¹²⁴ tn Or “and look, Esau was coming.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through Jacob’s eyes.

[34:5]  ¹²⁵ tn The two disjunctive clauses in this verse (“Now Jacob heard…and his sons were”) are juxtaposed to indicate synchronic action.

[34:5]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:5]  ¹²⁷ sn The expected response would be anger or rage; but Jacob remained silent. He appears too indifferent or confused to act decisively. When the leader does not act decisively, the younger zealots will, and often with disastrous results.

[34:11]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Dinah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:11]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “whatever you say.”

[34:11]  ¹³⁰ tn Or “pay.”

[34:22]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “when every one of our males is circumcised.”

[34:23]  ¹³² tn The words “If we do so” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[35:11]  ¹³³ tn The name אֵל שַׁדַּי (’el shadday, “El Shaddai”) has often been translated “God Almighty,” primarily because Jerome translated it omnipotens (“all powerful”) in the Latin Vulgate. There has been much debate over the meaning of the name. For discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names Shaddai and Abram,” JBL 54 (1935): 173-210; R. Gordis, “The Biblical Root sdy-sd,” JTS 41 (1940): 34-43; and especially T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 69-72. Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world who grants, blesses, and judges. In the Book of Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness. The patriarchs knew God primarily as El Shaddai (Exod 6:3). While the origin and meaning of this name are uncertain its significance is clear. The name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. For a fuller discussion see the note on “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.

[35:11]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “A nation and a company of nations will be from you and kings from your loins will come out.”

[35:11]  sn A nation…will descend from you. The promise is rooted in the Abrahamic promise (see Gen 17). God confirms what Isaac told Jacob (see Gen 28:3-4). Here, though, for the first time Jacob is promised kings as descendants.

[37:7]  ¹³⁵ tn All three clauses in this dream report begin with וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), which lends vividness to the report. This is represented in the translation by the expression “there we were.”

[37:7]  ¹³⁶ tn The verb means “to bow down to the ground.” It is used to describe worship and obeisance to masters.

[37:9]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “And he dreamed yet another dream.”

[37:9]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Look.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons. Both clauses of the dream report begin with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), which lends vividness to the report.

[39:6]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:6]  ¹⁴⁰ sn The Hebrew verb translated left indicates he relinquished the care of it to Joseph. This is stronger than what was said earlier. Apparently Potiphar had come to trust Joseph so much that he knew it was in better care with Joseph than with anyone else.

[39:6]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.

[39:6]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “did not know.”

[39:6]  ¹⁴³ sn The expression except the food he ate probably refers to Potiphar’s private affairs and should not be limited literally to what he ate.

[39:6]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “handsome of form and handsome of appearance.” The same Hebrew expressions were used in Gen 29:17 for Rachel.

[39:23]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “was not looking at anything.”

[39:23]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[40:8]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “a dream we dreamed.”

[40:8]  ¹⁴⁸ tn The word “them” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[40:16]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “that [the] interpretation [was] good.” The words “the first dream” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[40:16]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Or “three wicker baskets.” The meaning of the Hebrew noun חֹרִי (khori, “white bread, cake”) is uncertain; some have suggested the meaning “wicker” instead. Comparison with texts from Ebla suggests the meaning “pastries made with white flour” (M. Dahood, “Eblaite h¬a-rí and Genesis 40,16 h£o„rî,” BN 13 [1980]: 14-16).

[41:26]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “one dream it is.”

[41:43]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Pharaoh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[41:43]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “and he caused him to ride in the second chariot which was his.”

[41:43]  ¹⁵⁴ tn The verb form appears to be a causative imperative from a verbal root meaning “to kneel.” It is a homonym of the word “bless” (identical in root letters but not related etymologically).

[42:36]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “is not.”

[42:36]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “is not.”

[42:36]  ¹⁵⁷ tn The nuance of the imperfect verbal form is desiderative here.

[43:8]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “and we will rise up and we will go.” The first verb is adverbial and gives the expression the sense of “we will go immediately.”

[43:8]  ¹⁵⁹ tn After the preceding cohortatives, the prefixed verbal form (either imperfect or cohortative) with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or result.

[43:15]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “they arose and went down to Egypt.” The first verb has an adverbial function and emphasizes that they departed right away.

[45:19]  ¹⁶¹ tn The words “to say” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[45:27]  ¹⁶² tn Heb “and they spoke to him all the words of Joseph which he had spoke to them.”

[46:6]  ¹⁶³ tn Heb “and they took their livestock and their possessions which they had acquired in the land of Canaan and they went to Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[47:23]  ¹⁶⁴ tn The perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive is equivalent to a command here.

[48:15]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “shepherded me.” The verb has been translated as an English noun for stylistic reasons.